An outbreak of severe gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus in the Solomon Islands

Authors

  • Elizabeth Rodgers Ministry of Health and Medical Sciences, PO Box 349, Honiara, Solomon Islands
  • Paul Masendycz World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research on Human Rotaviruses, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Helen Bugg World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research on Human Rotaviruses, Melbourne, Victoria
  • Ruth Bishop World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research on Human Rotaviruses, Melbourne, Victoria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.1996.20.56

Abstract

An outbreak of severe acute rotavirus gastroenteritis affected children and adults on Gaudalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands during the two months from 2 September to 5 November 1995. A total of 858 patients presented to the Outpatient Department of Honiara Central Hospital, resulting in 169 admissions, predominantly of children under five years of age, two of whom died. The abrupt onset and cessation of this epidemic may prove to be characteristic of rotavirus epidemiology in small island populations.

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References

Bishop R. Natural history of rotavirus infections. In: Kapikian AZ, ed. Viral Infections of the Gastrointestinal Tract, 2nd edition, New York: Marcel Dekker, 1994: 131-167.

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Shann F, Germer S, Lansdown S et al. Rotavirus infection in young children in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Med J Aust 1980; 2:153-154.

Foster S, Palmer EL, Gary GW et al. Gastroenteritis due to rotavirus in an isolated Pacific island group: an epidemic of 3,439 cases. J Infect Dis 1980;141:32-39.

Germani Y, Morillan M, Begaund E et al. Two year study of endemic enteric pathogens associated with acute diarrhoea in New Caledonia. J Clin Microbiol 1994; 32:1532-1536.

Solomon Islands National Diarrhoeal Diseases Survey. Honiara: Ministry of Health and Medical Services, 1992.

Cook SM, Glass RI, LeBaron CW, Ho M. Global seasonality of rotavirus infections. Bull World Health Organ 1990; 68:171-177.

Coulson BS, Unicomb LE, Pitson GA, Bishop RF. Simple and specific enzyme immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies for serotyping human rotaviruses. J Clin Microbiol 1987; 25:509-515.

Khoshoo V, Bhan MK, Jayashree S et al. Rotavirus infection and persistent diarrhoea in young children. Lancet 1990; 336:1314.

Bishop R, Barnes G. Rotavirus infection - the need for a vaccine. Comm Dis Intell 1996; 20:296-298.

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Published

05/08/96

How to Cite

Rodgers, Elizabeth, Paul Masendycz, Helen Bugg, and Ruth Bishop. 1996. “An Outbreak of Severe Gastroenteritis Caused by Rotavirus in the Solomon Islands”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 20 (August):352-54. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.1996.20.56.

Issue

Vol. 20 (1996)

Section

Original article

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